Wreaths Needs Your Help
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RIDAY OVEMBER (978) 297-0050 • www.winchendoncourier.com F , N 21, 2014 Newsstand: 75 cents Tina Grehan photo MOUNTAIN SNOW Mount Monadnock is nestled with its head in the clouds and its feet in the first of this year’s snow. Early college experience provided by college and RB grant BY CAMERON WOODCOCK Foundation, Amber Dignan School students to earn work- GARDNER — For the third and Melanie Cranfill are purs- place credentials and first-year consecutive year, Murdock ing MWCC certificates in allied credits toward corresponding High School seniors in the health, and Andrew Phelps is associate-degree programs at Robinson-Broadhurst career working toward a certificate in MWCC. tech scholarship program are computer information systems. “I chose to participate in this earning academic certificates at Participants can also earn cer- program because I wanted a Mount Wachusett Community tificates in the fields of automo- change in my learning environ- College while simultaneously tive technology and accounting. ment and wanted to get a head finishing their diplomas. Created as a pathway to high- start in college,” said Cranfill. Through a generous grant er education, the dual-enroll- “The program is an amazing from the Winchendon- ment program is providing full opportunity to further my edu- based Robinson Broadhurst scholarships for Murdock High cation at virtually no cost,” said Phelps. “I have learned that pro- grams like this are wonderful things to try and work hard for, because not everyone gets to have a year of college for free.” Overseeing the program are assistant dean of transitions programming Deb Bibeau, MWCC foundation director Carla Zottoli, CVTE transition counselor and student advisor Shaunti Phillips, and Murdock High School guidance counsel- Wreaths needs ors Anne Marie Borsky and Rachel Weinhold. The Murdock guidance coun- Courtesy photo selors credit the Robinson your help Three Murdock High School seniors are earning academic certificates at Broadhurst program with Mount Wachusett Community College through the Robinson-Broadhurst providing an opportunity to career tech scholarship program. Pictured, from left, Andrew Phelps, Amber enhance offerings at the high WINCHENDON — It started small, an evergreen wreath with Dignan, Melanie Cranfill and CVTE transition counselor and student advisor a red bow placed on a veteran’s grave to commemorate the holidays and honor the service. It was a gesture of good faith Shaunti Phillips. Turn To MWCC page A9 and was a beautiful response to the wish to pay tribute. Then it grew, and Wreaths Across America is not only nationwide, but growing exponentially. Winchendon’s Veterans’ Cemetery has been a part of the movement from the beginning, and each year, as more and Housekeeping articles in more veterans are interred, more wreaths are required. Local help has been part of the picture always, and Dick and Bridget Marinelli have been at the forefront, as they are again this year, though they would prefer not to be in the spotlight for it. warrant need attention It’s because they need your help they are putting themselves here, because funding is short this time: $7,000 short as of BY RUTH DEAMICIS ties with meeting continuing members who can make even Monday; though by the time the newspaper is printed we can COURIER EDITOR roadblocks to accomplishing a single monthly meeting has hope it is much less. The Marinellis have been beating the WINCHENDON — While the work. proven daunting; and then a streets for help, going to service clubs like the Kiwanis and townspeople are up in arms As an example, the quorum required by having Lions, the American Legion and its subsidiaries, the churches, over two or three controver- Conservation Commission the seven member stipulation the clubs, and to you the public. sial articles on Monday’s spe- is requesting that its mem- is also sometimes difficult to Donating to this cause is dear to their hearts, and they hope it cial town meeting warrant, bership be officially changed meet. A seven member board will be for you as well. Bridget Marinelli can be reached at (978) it is an opportunity for some from seven members to five. must have five members in 895-0133 or at [email protected]. If you would like to mail a town committees to get work In the face of continuing diffi- attendance to have a quorum; donation make the check payable to Winchendon Wreath Fund done. Especially in the face of culties with getting volunteers but if the membership is low- and mail it to Winchendon Wreath Fun, PO Box 2342, Fitchburg for town committees, attempt- MA 01420. looming deadlines or difficul- Turn To WARRANT A9 ing to fill a board with seven page LOCAL SPORTS WEEKLY QUOTE Royalston Village Win against School plans Narragansett could “Every sweet has its open house be in the stars sour; every evil its good.” 6 5652510431 2 PAGE 2 PAGE 8 Ralph Waldo Emerson Friday, November 21, 2014 2 WINCHENDON COURIER MURDOCK HIGH SCHOOL HONOR ROLL WINCHENDON — The Victoria Lemire, Aidan Nicholas Coddington, following students have Provost, and Victoria Tatum Mahoney, Cody been names to the first Swanson; High Honors: Uguccioni and Christian quarter honor roll at Jasmine Leslie and Whitaker. Murdock High School. Dalton Scott; Honors: GRADE 12 GRADE NINE Thomas Aho, Kayla Highest Honors: Highest Honors: Bennett, Jaina Curcio, Juliana Bolick, Rachel Michaela Benedict, Desgroseilliers, Katie Dickens, Brandon Marisa Losurdo, Heacox, Kyle Higgins, Jinn, Makarim Zaskia, Alexander Marshall and Logan Knight, Alyssa and Rachel Woodman; Thomas Sutherland; High LaBrack, Jordan High Honors: Chelsie Honors: Tiana Taylor; Manuel, Jared Nelson, Alliy, Myranda Bishop, Honors: Ariana Berman, Jon Pereira, Sydnie St. Victoria Marshall, Renee Courtesy photo Jacob Carter, Katelynn Pierre, and Christopher Rogers, and Ryen Wood; Hutton, Steven Ingman, Yang. Honors: Taylor Barrows, Fourth and sixth grade Village School students display the castles they created, as part of Emily Kiberd-Pervier, GRADE 11 Zachary Burchfield, Kate their year-long study of the Middle Ages. Hannah Morse, Brandon Highest Honors: Maria Burdin, Keisha Casey- Peterson and Victoria St. Mae Javien, Deanna Black, Nicole Eliason, Hilaire. Polcari, Mackenzie Dallas Hamel, Olivia Royalston Village School plans open house GRADE 10 Rushia, and Chandler Heim, Ann Labarge, Highest honors: Torres Pagan; High John Ramsay, Meghan ROYALSTON — The Village School is hosting an open house on Saturday Andrew Burns, Brooke Honors: Haley Jandris; Williams and Lianglingia Nov. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Come see classrooms, meet teachers, talk to Harris, Ryan Kaminsky, Honors: Kelsey Brooks, Zheng. current parents and students, meet alumni and learn about the engaging cur- riculum. Find out about the admissions process, openings for next year, and financial aid. From 10 to 11:45 a.m., children can join in arts and crafts and sci- ence activities in the classrooms. At 11:45 a.m. everyone will gather together to meet with school director Risa Richardson. Coffee, tea and light refreshments are served throughout the morning. The Village School is an affordable independent school offering a challenging and supportive learning environment for children from Preschool through the 6th grade. The Village School is located on the Common in Royalston, off Route 68, just across from the post office. There are limited openings for the 2014-15 school year. For more information, call (978) 249-3505, or go to www.villages- choolma.org. Capen Hill Nature Sanctuary 56 CAPEN ROAD CHARLTON, MA 86 acres of trails open from dawn to dusk. We have a visitor center with animals, Sharon Perkins photo all free of charge. During voting at the beginning of this month nursing students from Fitchburg State University held a food drive to benefit the local CAC. With the help of their teacher, Judy Squirrel Nest Gift Shop Mizhir, the women managed to gather more than 500 pounds of food to donate for local and Visitor Center families. Tues-Thurs 9-2 Sat 10-2 508.248.5516 Holiday baskets first priority for CAC All proceeds go to the sanctuary. BY JERRY CARTON COURIER CORRESPONDENT WINCHENDON — Having made contact with some six percent of the town’s population last month, Winchendon’s Community Action Center is preparing to distribute almost 120 Thanksgiving baskets before next Thursday’s holiday. “A few weeks ago, at the end of October, I was really worried we weren’t going to have enough,” to meet the requests, noted CAC Executive Director Colleen Laperriere. “We had a wait list.” But between the Center’s usual partners and private donors, Laperriere’s Gobble Up fears were put to rest. Those partners include the Worcester County Food Bank, the Winchendon School, Rite-Way and local farms Sunset View and Noon Day. “I could breathe easier for a minute,” she said. the Savings While broad attention to hunger issues tends to be paid during the holiday season, Laperriere sees it as a year-round concern. After all, the Worcester County Food Bank reports just over 12-percent of the county’s almost 83,000 residents received food assistance in 2012 and since the recession began in 2008, the hunger rate for households across Massachusetts has increased 40-percent. “You can see why we’re concerned,” she observed. “Whatever ‘recovery’ there has been takes much longer to take hold in rural communities like this one and that means families are impacted more by food issues out here than in other places.” Of course, as soon as Thanksgiving is done, the CAC will turn its attention to Christmas and Laperriere is estimating the agency will be giving out some 175 or so gifts for area kids. “That’s the next hurdle, and it makes us feel really good to make kids happy, % but we’re trying to be mindful of the big picture,” she pointed out.